Columbia County, Georgia

Columbia County Education, Geography, and History

Columbia County is a county located in the US state of Georgia. As of 2013, the population was 135,416.  Columbia County was created on December 10, 1790 from Richmond County. The legal county seat is Appling, but the location of Columbia County's government and courts is Evans. The county is named in honor of Christopher Columbus (1446 -1506), explorer.

Columbia County is included in the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is currently one of the fastest growing counties in the United States. It is located along the Savannah River.

Etymology - Origin of Columbia County Name

 The county is named for Christopher Columbus.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Columbia County History

Columbia County, the 12th county formed in Georgia, was created in 1790. Originally part of Richmond County, Columbia County was named for Christopher Columbus.

Although Appling is the county seat and was chartered in 1816, the city was one of 187 inactive municipalities which lost their charters in 1995 as a result of a 1993 Act of the General Assembly. There is some controversy over whether or not Appling ever was incorporated.

Points of Interest

With 1,200 miles of shoreline, Clarks Hill Lake is the largest man-made lake east of the Mississippi and is partially located in Columbia County. The lake, which is also known as Thurmond Lake, was created in 1946 when the Army Corps of Engineers built the Clarks Hill Dam on the Savannah River.

The Augusta Canal Heritage Area, which is partially in Columbia County, has been recently designated a historical waterway by the US Congress and designated as a Regionally Important Resource (RIR).

Columbia County's high schools consistently rank among the top high schools in the state and the nation.

Notable Citizens

Oliver Norvell Hardy of "Laurel and Hardy" fame hailed from Columbia County. Among other notable persons from the county were: Basil Neal, who was honored for fighting heroically against the Indians and the British before, during, and after the Revolutionary War; William Few and Abraham Baldwin, who were two of Georgia's six appointees to the 1787 Constitutional Convention.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 308 square miles (800 km²), of which 290 square miles (750 km²) is land and 18 square miles (47 km²) (5.7%) is water.

 Columbia county is located in northeast Georgia.  The county is in the Savannah River basin.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• North: McCormick County, S.C.
• Northeast: Edgefield County, S.C.
• East: Aiken County, S.C.
• Southeast: Richmond County
• Southwest: McDuffie County
• Northwest: Lincoln County

Education

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